OBITUARY RECORD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 21

OBITUARY RECORD.

Mr John Lesson, a leading manufacturer and citizem of Forfar, died on th« 9th April, in h. ; s ninetieth year. He was the first to introduce the steam-loom into the district, a-nd he took a.n active port in public affa-'rs. From 1877 to 1830 he was Provost of the burgh. He received the honour of a publio funeral, at which there was a great gathering. Three daughters survive him.

The Rev. Dr D. Douglas Bannerman, of _£t. Leonard's U.F. Church, Perth, and a prominent minister in his denomination, di<>d on 7th April ; aged 61. After & distinguished academic career, he was ordained to a charge at Dalkeit-h in 1869, ajid 10 years later was called to Perth. He was a faibhful preaeh-eT and pa^or, an influential tpaaker in the courts of his church, a.nd tfie author of two or three theological works which are held in high estimation. Hia death caused unhersal regret in Perth.

Mr James Johnston, heal of the large fish-curing firm of Joseph Johnston and Sons, Monitrose, died on the 11th April; aged 75. He was for many years a member of the Scottish Fishery Board, and received the Order of the Chevalier of Wasa, from tlie King of Sweden. He was a kind and wise friend to the poor, and aided all philanthropic objects. At his funeral, in adddtion to tho municipal and other dignitaries, many hundreds ot fishermen assembled to manifest their regaxd for him.

The Rev 00-orge Barclay, for 44 years minister of Dun.score TJ F Church, Dum-fnes-shire, and a leading figure in the ecc!<»dia«tica.l life of the county, has passed away at the ago of 71. He had juft been granted t'hres months' sick leave. Ho wa<» tho " father" of his presbytery a.t his death.

Sir Thomas Thornton, town clerk of Dundee, was taken ill in the sirect on April 20, ju,t after attending a meeting of tlie ' •School Board, and died next day; aged 73. ' For many years be had boon Dundee's loading citizen, and he rendered incalculable ' services to tho town. Hit* capacity for work wa<3 extraordinary. Tho idea of building a railway bridge over the Tay is paid to J havo originated with him At his fun.?ral business was suspended in Dundee, a.nd the ' proce=pion was fully a mile in length. Sir Thomas is <rur\ivcd by one son. His wife died in 1869. !

Mr James R. W:ico\, Trovost of St, Andrews, and one of the best-known nwn in Fife, died on the 21't Ann' ; aged 69. Ho held any number of nublio po=t«. and filled thorn all with dignity and cffioicvncy. Since, 1887 he had been a member of the Scottish Fishery Board, being originally appointed on tho petition of nearly 5000 East Coast fuhn-mcn. On Anul 25 he received tho honour of a pubic funeral, when all the shops in St. Andrews were closed for three hours, and the entire population took part in or w'tne^sp-d the obsequies. The coffin was carried by men frr-m H M Fishery gunboat Bret-da Mr "Welch was 1. •»

jxever married

The Rev. W. B Melville, Minister of the West I.F. Chun h, Bu=by, while crossing the railway lines at Eglinton street station. Glasgow, on tho 21st April, was knocked down by a train and instantaneously killed. The deceased gentleman was 59 years of age, and had been nt. Busby for 19 years, having proviou--ly held charges at Barrow-in-Fumcss and at Burr ay (Orkney). He was much esteemed, and his untimely end is much lamented in Bu°by.

GENERAL NEWS.

Lord Balfour of Burleigh was presented with the freedom of Edinburgh at a distinguished gathering in the Synod Hall on 15th April. Li his speech h© referred to the management of Scottish affairs since the office of Secretary of State for Scotland was established 20 years ago. During tho last eitrht years he ha 3 filled the post him6elf with general satisfaction.

At Crieff some boys and girls were Talking, ■when a boy thiew his bag of books at

a girl uged 10, and struck her in the back. Soon afterwards she became ill, and died in a few days from injury to the spine. The gTeat statue of King Edward VII which was such a prominent feature of the Glasgow Exhibition of 1901 has come to an ignominious end. A noose was placed round the neck, and some navvies tugged at the other end of the rope, until the statue fell and was smashed to bits, which were then removed. A girl seven years of age has been instantaneously killed in Glasgow by being stiuck on the head by a chimney pot, which a high wind blew down. Steps are being taken to establish a sanatorium for consumptives in Ayrshire on a site at Glen Afton, 825 ft above the sea. The locality is admittedly a rainy one, but experts have assured the promoters of the undertaking that a heavy rainfall has no b-ul effect on con6umpti\es during the treatment. 'ihe Glasgow Corporation (electric) tramways are being extended to Paisley. The

work is to be completed by August 15. The Gleniffer Soapworks, Paisley, were I destroyed by fire on April 7. Immediately afterwards the Blaekhall paper mills belonging to Messrs Macintyre and Messrs Kirkwood and Baird's tapestry works were found to bg on fire, and were partly consumed. The total damage is estimated to amount to £45.000, and is entirely covered by insurance. At the annual meeting of the Edinburgh Jewish Medical Mission the report which was read stated that there is in this city a resident Jewish population of 2500. besides a large number of occasional visitants. Most of the latter are Russian and Roumanian refugees, who have to struggle with the direst poverty. A movement is on foot for the restoration of Culross Abbey Church, one of the most interesting old buildings in Scotland. Committees have been formed at Culross, Edinburgh, and Glasgow to raise the funds. It was at -Culross that St. Mungo. the founder of Glasgow, rec&ived his ecelesia=tioal training. The Rev. Dr Gillespie, of Mousewald, moderator-elect of the Church of Scotland, was last wee-k presented by his friendß with a s'lver rose bowl and 950 sovereigns. On tho Braid Hills (Corporation) golf course, Edinburgh, the sum of £681 was reooived in 1902 from 81,821 players. According to the annual report of the

Ednburgh Chamber of Commerce, jwt issued, almost three-fourths of all the beer brewed in Scotland is the product of Edinburgh breweries. The output has increased sixfold during the last 50 years. The following persom*J estates of deceased p'Tsons have been recorded: — Robert Berry, Sheriff-Principal of Lanarkshire, £127,864; Hugh Steven. ironfounder, Glasgow, £75.244; Mr James Saundere, Seaforth, Annan, £37 223. , The. Corporation of Glasgow has- just bought 62 square yards of prround to carry out a oity improvement in Sauchiehall street. The arbiter fixed the price at £22, plus £100 for loss of amenity The law expends of both sides put together amounted to £565.

£75.244;